Additional Information
The 2026 edition of Mundial Montréal is about to take off on November 17th (and until the 21st). On the starting platform, numerous groups and artists from Quebec, Canada, and beyond will come to showcase what they are capable of and the type of music they practice. PanM360 is covering the event, of course, and has chosen to present in more detail some of the ensembles that will be present. Here, Melafrique, a pan-African Afro-Soul/Fusion group based in Edmonton, whose members come from Kenya, Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Canada. I spoke with Aristoteles Canga, producer and keyboardist.
MELAFRIQUE WILL BE ON STAGE ON NOVEMBER 19, AT LES FOUFOUNES ÉLECTRIQUES. INFO AND TICKETS HERE.
PanM360: Hello. The group was formed in Edmonton in 2016. How and why?
Aristoteles Canga: The initial idea, in fact, was that three young people met in Edmonton. We were all students at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta. And it was a first experience of a very cold winter. It was extremely cold in 2015-2016. And we needed something to… calm our minds. And also because the engineering faculty’s curriculum was very difficult. We thought we needed something to calm our minds. It’s music that gave us that.
PanM360: You called yourselves Melafrique, which comes from “melanin” (skin colour) and “Africa,” with the finishing in French. A specific reason?
Aristoteles Canga: Because we have group members who are French speakers, including me. We have Enoch, who is originally from Ivory Coast. We wanted to create this mix and, let’s say, bring inclusion starting from the name of the group.
PanM360: In Alberta, you are a doubly minority… But overall, it’s very Pan-African…
Aristoteles Canga: That’s right. Our bassist, who is also one of the founders of the band, he comes from Kenya. Riwo, who is our lead singer, she comes from Nigeria. Me, I come from Angola, a Portuguese-speaking country.
PanM360: French becomes a binding agent. Nice idea. Here in Montreal, we appreciate it! How would you describe the fusion you create? When listening, one can sense a predominance of soul and R’n’B, less so the traditional sounds…
Aristoteles Canga: It wasn’t intended from the beginning. In fact, it has always been a challenge for Melafrique to define our sound because we have so many influences. I grew up with Lusophone music (Brazil, Portugal). And even music from Romania because I lived with a Romanian family. Leshan, he lived with Indian music, English-speaking music, and Rewo, the same thing. Every time we made arrangements, they were always mixed influences. ‘’Ah, me, I’m going to add that to the group’s arrangement’’. ‘’Me, I’m going to add that…’’ I also have a Francophone background. We talk about Céline Dion, we also talk about music, for example, Haitian music like Konpa. It has always been a blend of cultures and it has always been difficult to give a name to Melafrique’s music. People often say that you have to be there at a Melafrique show to know exactly how not to define Melafrique’s music. But here, I think I would summarise by saying that our music is defined as Afro-soul.
It’s Afrofusion and Afro-soul.
PanM360: How do you see your participation in Mundial Montréal?
Aristoteles Canga: The expectations are very high, I would say. We did Breakout West for the first time this year. We didn’t know what to expect. We saw the diversity, the size of the people who were there. We did the Alberta Touring Alliance for the first time this year. And the expectations for Montreal are much higher. It’s a bigger city than Victoria, where Breakout West took place. Or Fort Saskatchewan, where Alberta Touring Alliance took place. So, we expect more. We expect people to discover the Melafrique group and that it will be a springboard, I would say, to help us get known around the country, all over the country.
PanM360: Will this be your first time in Montreal?
Aristoteles Canga: No. We were in Montreal last year as part of the tour with Jully Black. We did a Canadian tour with Jully Black. The story is so interesting. We opened for her here in Edmonton in 2023. Then, she said we should do something. A week later, she calls us. ‘’Can I come here to record a song?’’
Then she tells us, “Are you up for a Canadian tour with me, to be the opening act for all my shows across Canada?” We went on the tour. And we passed through Montreal for the first time in 2024. As a French speaker, arriving at the airport and just listening to people speak French, it makes a difference. It’s… Oh, wow!
I feel at home here.
PanM360: You don’t have an album at the moment…
Aristoteles Canga: We have a lot of music, but it has always been a challenge to release these songs because we have a lot of perfectionists in the group. We have very good producers, we have very good musicians, but it’s just about finding the point where we need to give our fans what they need. We have plans to release music. We released a single titled Enough three weeks ago, which will be part of an EP coming out next year.
We are also about to release an EP at the end of November, just before our arrival in Montreal, a Christmas album. There will be five songs. Instrumentals and songs composed by us and two covers, I think.
I hope that in Montreal, we will find people who will help us with this too.
PanM360: There is a beautiful Pan-African scene in Montreal…
Aristoteles Canga: Yes, yes. I know many artists from Africa who are in Montreal and Quebec in general. I know, for example, Fredy Massamba. I know Kizaba, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is also Pierre Kwenders. I follow the Montreal Francophone music scene a lot. It’s very rich.
That inspires me a lot, in any case.
PanM360: A final reflection?
Aristoteles Canga: Come with an open mind and heart. Melafrique is about diversity. It’s something you have to be in the room to fully understand. I’m sure you’ll be amazed. Every time I’ve played with many groups, I produce for many groups, but nothing compares to what happens on stage when I play with Melafrique.
It’s a magical moment. I invite everyone to come on the 19th to see Melafrique and have your life changed, I assure you.
PanM360: In addition, you’ll be at Foufounes électriques. You know the place, and you know what “Foufounes” means?
Aristoteles Canga: No, I admit it, no.
PanM360: It’s the buttocks! Foufounes means buttocks, or the buns.
Aristoteles Canga: Fabulous! I’ll have to change my repertoire, haha.
PanM360: Thank you and enjoy your stay in Montreal. Welcome home!
